The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-10-22
ABOUT TRUSTS,

III the Philadelphia Record man could
but sit at the fact of the political economist
OF the Ottawa Republican, for few min.
utes, 1t would never again make such a
break as to repeat It's remark
"The way 10 check the growth of the
mischievous trust iCea Is 10 root up the
tariff hedge that enables II 10 flourish in
defiance of sound public sentiment. Scratch
a trust" conspiracy and you will find a
tariff protected monopoly"
BY a careful study Of the Republic and the
Record would find that the tariff Is not
responsible for these trusts they just
seem TO grow out of the cursedness of
human nature!
Yet somehow there are other patriotic
citizens In this country besides the Record
who have not yet been blessed with the
flood If light from the Ottawa economist
and will persist In thinking that the tariff
Ia responsible for the meanest of these
monopolistic trusts. There's the Philadel-
phia Telegraph, for example, republican
organ and protectlonist Of the deepest
dye. Even the Telegraph can keep admit
ting that the tariff does encourage trust"
robberies like the sugar trust 1t says:
That the present unequal, discriminating,
complicated and often monopolistic tariff
laws need TO be revised the most casual
reference to them will clearly demonstrate.
Congress, It Is said, will certainly revise
tho TarfE L. ne sha ovnpNacbton
II II does the work wisely II can do no
better thing, and 1t can make no better
beginning than by repeating absolutely
the tax on sugar. Congress should do this
without the least conjunction, as when
the duty upon any article Is used as a
means TO Cypress the people II should be
promptly removed. We say this, although
heretofore We have always contended for
the tariff on sugar when II has been attack
ed by the friends Of other protected indus
tries who have desired to sacrifice II In
order to save themselves. In the fourteen
firms employed In the refining of sugar In
the United States there are not fifty per.
sons interested In II as capitalists; but, few
as they are, they have without exception
grown enormously wealthy even with all
the firms competing one with the other
They have prospered 80 exceedingly by
reason OF the duty on sugar that eleven Of
them are able to supply an aggregate
capital of $50,000,000 for the purposes of
this trust. Not satisfied with amassing
colossal fortunes In accordance with the
wholesome trade law of fair competition
from the sugar trade and to substitute for
II the law of monopoly. Congress, as the
ntot1y o If <hn yAnn1n ohpvIA
not be for moment In doubt about Its duty
In this matter, nor hesitate to do II unfllch.
ingly; Its duty Is to make sugar, raw and
refined, absolutely free.
The question Is one between 10000, 900
OF people who are the consumers of sugar
and the fifty who are the manufacturers of
It. The moment that any duty Is used to
create an oppressive monopoly in any
article Of general use the duty should be
removed even though 1t impoverish every
member Of the trust or monopoly. The
offense Is not confined TO compelling the
people to pay unnecessary and unjust
tribute to q handful OF capitalists who
have free and to spare fifty solid millions;
1t Is that 1t breeds popular discomfort,
creates Anarchists and Socialists, arrays
the poor against the rich, drives out of
trade all citizens Of small capital, central
lies all business In trusts and combinations,
TO the end Of depressing the people. There
are many OF these monopOlies which exist
only under sufferance Of the tariff; and
wherever single one does so exist II
shall be destroyed by the repeal of the
the duty imposition of which gives It life.
1t wouldn't be possible for an out and
out free trader to put 1t more strongly.
The truth is the iniquities of our tariff
system are becoming so glazing that even
Its friends cannot, when honest, deny that
II is fraud and an outrage on the people
and are fast arraying themselves alongside
the President In this matter of tariff reform
a reform that shall lop off the iniquities
and yet retain such protective features as
business experience has shown are needed
to truly benefit the laboring and manu-
featuring interests.